Hurricane Florence to test South Carolina infrastructure

FILE-In this Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 file photo, a home sits in flood waters in Nichols, S.C. The residents of a tiny town in South Carolina who rebuilt after an inland flood from a hurricane destroyed 90 percent of the homes two years ago are uneasy as forecasters warn inland flooding from Hurricane Florence's rain could be one of the most dangerous and devastating parts of the storm. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt, File)

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Torrential rains from Hurricane Florence will test South Carolina's infrastructure, which failed under historic flooding in 2015.

The devastating 2015 floods contributed to 19 deaths and crippled parts of the capital city Columbia for months. The state's infrastructure, weakened by years of neglect, crumbled under the strain of nearly 2 feet (60 centimeters) of rain. Dams burst across the state. Roads washed out and bridges were compromised.

South Carolina has 42,000 miles of state-maintained roads, according to the state Department of Transportation. Spokesman Pete Poore says the agency is positioning crews of its 3,200 maintenance workers across the state to be ready to fix broken traffic signals, barricade problem areas and do whatever else is needed to make the state's roads safe again after Florence.